alpine003

make sure to look to see if it's made in Finland or else you'll suffer the same bearing failure as stock.








I kid...

Gonzo911

I have a similar Dealer story and I am quite sure we would be talking about the same one. Such a shame, but great for our Indy's. Who did you use?

KrazyK

They had a story behind it about improved seals, etc, blah, blah. I have succumbed to replacing it every 30K to 40K with the clutch so I dont know how long it lasts.

Alp, they claim it doesnt self-destruct like the OEM one because of the improved seals.

At this point I feel like the M96.04 is the Titanic and no matter what you do there is mode of failure #1 through #200. Not the whole car just the egnine. Not buying the TT I looked at was one of the stupidist things Ive done in awhile.

alpine003

I think you're writing off the M96 too prematurely and unfairly IMO. I mean look how many are out there. They can't all be ticking time bombs or most of them would've already exploded. You got lemons, make lemonade...

I hope you don't have kids. "Having that kid was the dumbest thing I've done..."

dosie

Update....I have the "old" IMS bearing sitting on my desk. Today, I picked it up and held it real close to my ear and spun it slowly back and forth. Guess what? A slight gravely sound. How close was I to a disaster? As a non-professional, I don't know, but I do know that I'm glad I did the replacement. 2003 with 27K miles on the Odo.

Ahsai

w/o oil or grease inside? I read it somewhere (i think from Casper) that a dry bearing will sound terrible even when new.

Imo000

^^^ That's correct, the ***** will be bouncing off the cage and it will sound like $hit. Add a tiny bit of oil or grease and it will quiet down. It's easy to scare people whem they don't know what normal is.

Flat6 Innovations

Price shopping this level of work is about the biggest mistake that someone can make. In the auto repair world cheap= fast and that means a total lack of pre and post procedure checks are done.

I am amazed when I instruct my classes that the people installing the IMS bearings are not removing the oil sump during the procedure. Everyone wants to race against a clock, which is fine if you are changing a starter, but not with an IMSR.

The IMSR requires an "engine building" mindset, which is why so many shops goof them up.

KrazyK

JR, does that include if your replacing the IMSB as PM and there is no indication of any metal or seal fragments in oil, oil filter, or sump?? Do you mean just pull the pan and inspect anyway?

Flat6 Innovations

Absolutely! Assume nothing and quantify everything! Debris left in the oil system from any worn part will destroy the IMSR bearing in short order.

fpb111

So where do we get a ceramic bearing now?

KrazyK

Pelican still has some LNE's in stock but I would buy now if you need one. A source on Renntech says he can still get the Casper for now. Personally I just don't have the taste for their "mine is better" but " we wont sell you one" drama. I find it a little offensive that they think the IMSB is beyond the reach of a DIY'er and find their stingy sell attitude condescending and patronizing.

alpine003

IIRC, JR had already stated that he is having a distributor sell the retrofits. He's looking to get out of the consumer direct channel and I see nothing wrong with that. I'd rather see him using his time to finish his book and any further research rather than answering calls and providing end user support on remedial questions on installing the retrofit.

As for Casper, he's not really interested in taking a sales/support role and would prefer to play an engineering role from what I gather.

FWIW, when you have all these novices trying to tackle an intermediate to difficult procedure(partly due to cost and circumstance situations), you're bound to have some bad installations and eventually finger pointing in all the wrong directions. Not everyone is cut out to be a surgeon(utmost attention to detail) and I've seen many nurses in this hobby trying to act like one. My $.02

KrazyK

Alp, I agree with most of that and it probably comes down to "these are your options for now" if you can still buy them:

Imre bearing $20 - $100
Pelican Improved OEM $165
Casper $325
LNE $650
F6I solution $3500+

At least there are options.

Flat6 Innovations

I had originally never wanted the IMSR to go into the hands of untrained professionals that had undergone training regarding the install of the unit. But, my role with the original IMSR bearing was just to be the developer of the process, tools and to ensure the units worked as they should, didn't lose power over stock, didn't break and that the kits were complete for an install. LN had the final say on the sales and decided that the logistics with training and the hassles associated with that were too great for the massive numbers of people that were absolutely begging for the IMSR technology.

You have to remember that the dialogue on forums in those days was much different, because the IMSR was a black art that was filled with urban legend about not even being mechanically possible. In those days if your engine just started to lose an IMSB it was doomed, because no one had a tool to extract it and no one had a bearing to replace it with. Hell for the first year people still didn't believe that it could be done and Porsche service advisors were still spreading "facts" that the bearing was non-servicable and could not be purchased.

My role with the IMS Solution is much different, because I invented it, so we are taking what we have learned with the IMSR and ensuring that it is not repeated with the IMS Solution. This means none will be sold for retail sale and each unit must be registered and each shop that carries out an install will receive a registration number. Each and every IMS Solution is also serialized and there will initially be 6 certified IMS Solution installers (placed strategically across North America) in the USA and Canada, all of which have been hand picked by Charles and I. Each of these certified installers will receive formal training on the entire procedure and will be required to pass an evaluation.

Other shops can buy the units from wholesalers, but they will not be certified.

This is what should have been employed with the IMSR to begin with, but the frenzy of shops and people wanting them didn't allow it. We learn from our mistakes. The IMS Solution is also for elective use only, and not to be used to repair an engine with a failed or failing IMSB.

What was the final blow in regard to retail IMSB sales was an installer that became vocal on a forum after HE made a mistake and then stated that the "bearing failed during install" when that didn't happen. He made a huge deal out of it, called LN and disrespected every employee there and even Charles.

The IMSR process is not hard, but it requires a methodical approach with attention to detail. It also requires mechanical inclination at a level thats much greater than what I see with today's technicians. Through my classes I made contact with over 400 technicians all across the continent last year and the majority of them simply do not have what it takes to carry out this level of work, even after attending the class. They are so attuned with diagnostic scan tools doing all their work for them, that the days of actually having human intervention solve a mechanical problem is pretty much gone. When I look out across a class people are just dumbfounded and I sometimes simply stop and ask if anyone understands any of it. In a classroom of 40 attendees I might have 3-4 people that actually "get it". Thats whats causing problems today.

I have become completely disinterested with selling anything other than a complete engine and I don't even trust any other shop to install them and thats why I have cars here from 18 states and two Canadian provinces today.

Anyway, rant off.... Nothing will be perfect, but if these jobs are not done thoroughly and without a deadline the retrofit will fail and guess where the finger points? You got it.